Mormon Bishop Sentenced to Three Years for Sex Abuse

By John Asbury
The Press-Enterprise
December 12, 2013

http://blog.pe.com/breaking-news/2013/12/11/menifee-mormon-bishop-sentenced-to-three-years-for-sex-abuse/

Todd Edwards

A Menifee Mormon bishop was sentenced Wednesday, Dec. 11, to three years in prison for molesting two teenage girls who attended his church.

Todd Michael Edwards, 49, received two concurrent sentences of three years in prison for two felony counts of sexual battery and sexual penetration with a foreign object. A witness intimidation felony was dismissed as part of a deal with prosecutors when he pleaded guilty Nov. 13.

Edwards, who was the bishop of the Menifee Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sat in court with his hands folded, carrying a plastic bag of diabetes medication.

He remained free until his sentencing hearing Wednesday, when he stood before Judge Becky Dugan in a Riverside courtroom. He was led away by deputies and handcuffed before being booked into Riverside County jail, where he will await being taken to state prison.

Edwards was arrested May 28 at his home in Murrieta following allegations by three girls in his church. Investigators said the girls were family friends of Edwards’.

One girl was 16 when she was molested in 2006. The second girl was 18 when she was molested in February 2012.

Charges related to the third girl’s accusations were not filed because the alleged incidents occurred beyond the statute of limitations.

As part of his sentencing, Edwards will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.